Apple Cake

Apple cake

This doesn't look impressive, but believe me, it is absolutely yummy and a great substitute for the rich but heart-stopping apple pie. Every single one of my friends who has made it loved it. It is heavy on the apples, light on eggs and there's no butter but there's veg oil. Best of all, it's one of those recipes where you just whip everything together so there's no need to drag your Kenwood or KitchenAid out and there's no pile of bowls and utensils to wash. I think it originated from one of those Australian cook books, because I've seen it again and again in Australian magazines.

The cake is good by itself but even better with creme fraiche. Since we don't get that here all the time, I like to use a combination of fresh dairy cream lightly sweetened with some condensed milk. For me, ice cream detracts any cake so it's not allowed with this.


Apple Cake
1/2 kg Granny Smiths (green apples), peeled, cored & chopped chunky*
200 g self-raising flour, sifted
1/3 t cinnamon powder
200 g (or 150 g for slightly sweet n 170g for slight to medium sweet) fine sugar
1 cup oil
3 large eggs
1 t finely grated lemon rind

*update 2/4/12: I now cut the apples pea size because that makes the texture finer and the cake holds together better.

1. Sift the flour with the cinnamon powder. Put sugar, eggs and oil into a bowl and hand whisk until creamy. Add the sifted flour, stir in the apples.

2. Pour batter into a 8"/21 cm or 9"/23 cm round tin (lined) and bake at 170 C for 45 to 50 minutes until a wooden stick plunged into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Serve with creme fraiche or fresh cream sweetened with condensed milk, whipped or not.